2014-enspecial-award

The Montreal-based consulting firm EquiSoft, which specializes in designing solutions for businesses, wanted to consolidate all its teams of employees in the same suite and provide them with a working environment that had maximum natural light. The firm Provencher_Roy opted for an open concept. Concentrating the closed offices in the centre of the suite and the workstations around the perimeter, along the windows, allowed in the most light possible. The closed offices have windows on two sides and so don’t block the light.

Since other workspaces had to be located on the floor below, a central staircase was added to connect the two levels. Its rugged metal construction and slightly off-kilter axis, echoing that of the reception desk, make it a focal point of the space.

Red, the company’s corporate colour, determined the main chromatic palette. The staircase becomes a unifying sculptural element and a strong brand identifier, anchoring the key elements of the project. White finishings accentuate the brightness and harmoniously balance the mass of contrasting colours. The darker tones bring a calm to the surrounding vibrancy. Colour is used as a visual reference to establish flow corridors and define common and private spaces.
The strategic exploration of colour by this winner served to create “spaces” with flair.